


Home

by DarkStuffHappens



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt JJ, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ Needs a Hug, John B is a Good Friend, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24017956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkStuffHappens/pseuds/DarkStuffHappens
Summary: JJ has it pretty goddamn rough in the OBX but thank god he's got John Booker Routledge to look out for him. All the times John B's looked after him.{This is basically a retelling of season one with more JJ whump because he does it soooo good}
Comments: 8
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

_It was close to midnight when JJ realised that John Booker Routledge was his home and it was at that exact moment - with that asshole Topper pushing his head down into the crashing waves - that he realised he had to make a choice. So he made it. He didn’t even have time to think how it had all come to this complete fuckup when he pulled the gun._

* * *

“Hi.” JJ put on his widest smile when he heard her voice and saw Kook Princess Sarah Cameron incoming. 

“Hey, hey, Sarah!” he called after her. She stopped and her and Topper turned to face him and John B. 

“Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?” JJ offered, holding the red solo cup aloft. 

“No, thanks,” Sarah replied, the corner of her mouth turning up in a quirky smile. 

“Is it not fancy enough for you?” JJ pushed, the alcohol flowing through his veins bringing out a side of him that he knew no one cared for, not even himself. 

“No, we were just leaving,” she brushed him off. 

“Hey, you know what? I’ll take it,” Topper piped up and JJ fixed him with an angry glare. 

“That’s nice but I didn’t ask you,” JJ shot back, “If you said ‘pretty please’ maybe.”

“But you didn’t,” John B said, finishing JJ’s sentence.

JJ didn’t even know how the fight started. One second they were bantering back and forth with the Kook Prince and Princess and the next, there was beer flying and John B and Topper shoving. JJ hoped it would end after each of them had got a good shove in but it was Topper’s next words that decided the direction the night would take. 

“Dirty Pogues!”

And John B launched himself at the asshole. The two of them traded punches and tackles in the shallows with the kids around them yelling indiscriminately with “Fight!” being one of the more recognisable chants. Sarah and Kie were screaming at the guys to stop and JJ could practically see the nervous sweat running down Pope’s face at the thought of his scholarship chances being pulled because of this. But all JJ could focus on was John B. He didn’t want to have to step in, that was rule numero uno of being a man - you let your friends fight their own fights and you patch them up later. It made him think for a split second about their friendship, about why John B was so important to him. 

* * *

JJ had a way of explaining things that were either too vague to warrant further interrogation or too aggressive to brook any disputes. It was how he handled life, how he handled everything - polar opposites, black and white, no in-between, no grey areas. It was easier that way. 

Well, it had been, up until one night a little over nine months ago. John B’s dad was yet to go missing, everything was just kind of normal. Or at least SNAFU - situation normal, all fucked up It was fall and they'd just hit the first cold snap of the year when JJ’s father kicked him out, literally. He flew off the front porch, landing heavily on the hard ground, blood running into his eyes blinding him for a moment. 

“Get the fuck outta here and come back when you ain’t such a goddamn waste of space,” came the farewell from his father before the front door slammed shut. 

“Ah fuck,” JJ groaned, feeling the ache in his ribs as he pushed himself to his feet. He looked up at his house - he didn’t think of it as his home - and shook his head before starting down the dirt road towards the Chateau. 

Wind whipped through the trees, chilling him to the bone in his threadbare hoodie and jeans but he pressed on, even when his entire body began to ache and throb something fierce. This might have been a summer paradise but sometimes it could really be one hell of a winter nightmare. It couldn’t possibly get any worse he thought seconds before thunder rumbled overhead and a fat drop of rain landed on his shoulder. 

“Oh it actually _can_ ,” JJ mumbled, pulling his hood up and bowing his head against the weather. 

Thank god John B’s house was only a twenty minute walk away - make that more like thirty as he felt a twinge in his knee spark up, probably from one of the countless times his deadbeat father had thrown him into a wall. He trudged dejectedly down the dirt roads - now mostly mud as the rain started pelting him - until finally, _blessedly_ , the Chateau came into view. Big John’s car wasn’t parked outside, only the van he’d bought for John B a while back. That would make things a little easier he supposed. 

JJ tripped up the steps to the front door and banged on it with his fist, wincing at the pain in his hand. There was no answer. 

“No, no, no, come on John B,” he whispered frantically, knocking again. He leaned against the door frame as his strength started to well and truly fade and exhaustion set in. “John B _please_ ,” he just about whimpered as he knocked a third time, his split-open knuckles only really grazing against the door instead of actually striking it. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

JJ could have started crying when he heard his friend’s voice and, to be completely honest, the rain dripping down his face would have disguised any tears. The door was flung open and John B’s face changed instantly from annoyed to horrified. 

“Fuck, JJ, what the hell happened to you?” John B said. 

“You should see the other guy, dude,” JJ cracked before his bad knee buckled and he practically fell into John B’s arms. “Ow,” he whispered, half ironically and half truthfully, as John B’s helped him inside. 

“For reals though man, what happened to you? You go looking for a fight with those asshole kooks again? Topper and those douchebags?” John B asked, supporting JJ over to the pull out couch. The two of them sat down side by side and JJ let out the breath he’d been holding. 

“Ah, that smarts a little,” JJ joked with a wince, his pale face giving away how he felt. 

“JJ, talk to me,” John B said, getting a little frantic, taking in the injuries he could see and becoming more worried about the ones he couldn’t. “Who did this to you? Was it Topper and Rafe?”

“Nah, it wasn’t them John B,” JJ replied quietly, hanging his head. 

“Then who, JJ? Who hurt you man?” John B pressed. 

“You… you can’t… man, if I tell you, you gotta promise not to tell anyone, okay?” JJ said softly. 

“What do you- JJ tell me what’s going on man,” John B said firmly. 

“It’s my… my dad,” JJ finally choked out. “He… he hits me. He gets too drunk or too fucking high and he throws me around a little. Or I guess a lot. He doesn't mean it, I'm a fuck up, it's just...” 

“Your…? Oh fuck, JJ I’m… I’m so sorry man,” John B said, pulling his friend into his arms. JJ couldn’t help it, the dam broke and he sobbed into John B’s shoulder, ignoring the agony in his ribs. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Don’t,” JJ whispered, shaking his head and sitting up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault, that’s for fucking sure.” 

“Wait here just a minute, alright? I’ll grab some water for you and… have you had dinner? I think we’ve got some leftover pizza in the fridge,” John B offered. 

“Oh that’d be so good,” JJ breathed, “I’m fucking starving.”

“Okay just… just wait here and try not to hurt yourself anymore,” John B said before hesitantly heading for the kitchen. 

JJ nodded and hung his head again, his overdue-for-a-haircut fringe flopping into his line of sight. He chanced a quick look down the front of his shirt, trying to gauge how bad he’d look but the lounge room was too dark. John B was back in a flash, a pizza box in his hands and JJ could smell it from across the room even if it was cold. 

“Here, have something to eat while I try and find the first aid kit,” John B said, putting the pizza box on the pull-out where JJ snatched it up and scrambled for the first bite. John B cast a concerned glance at how famished his friend looked before starting to hunt for the kit. 

JJ tucked into the pizza, ignoring the aches and twinges in his ribs as he bent over and ate. It had been too damn long since he’d eaten, maybe a day or so? He jumped slightly when John B burst back into the lounge room, first aid kit in hand. 

“Sorry,” John B said, looking guilty at startling JJ. 

“Nah, it’s fine,” JJ waved him off feeling stupid for having flinched at his own goddamn friend. 

“Okay, found the first aid kit,” John B announced. “So… let me see what we’re dealing with.”

“Let you…” JJ almost dropped the slice he’d been chewing on and looked up at John B. “Nah, JB I’m fine.” 

“No way man, I’m not believing that for a second,” John B said, shaking his head and sitting down on the pull-out next to his friend. Just that movement jostled JJ’s ribs and he winced. “And that right there is why,” John B added. “Come on, shirt off.” 

“Don’t you think you gotta buy me dinner first?” JJ joked, shifting slightly on the pull-out. 

“What do you call that pizza?” John B countered. 

“Uh, cold for starters.”

“Seriously man, enough, let me see the damage.”

JJ sighed and bit his lip - his split lip. “You’re not gonna let up are you?”

“Nah man,” John B smiled, shaking his head. “Come on, I’ve known you since the third grade. Time to pay you back for that time on July 4th when you”-

“Okay, okay, I give up,” JJ relented. He took a breath and gritted his teeth before unbuttoning his flannel shirt and pulling it off his shoulders. He didn’t dare look at John B but he sure heard his reaction. 

“Holy… what the fuck JJ? How could you”-

“How could I what, John B? I didn’t ask for this,” JJ said angrily looking up at his friend. His temper died instantly when he saw how distraught John B was. His dark eyes were glassy, full of tears and he looked horrified. 

“I… that wasn’t what I was gonna say man,” John B said, swallowing thickly and brushed at his eyes. “I was gonna say how could you… shit, how can you even sit up right now?” 

“Sheesh, I don’t know, John B, practice maybe?”

“How many times has he done this?” 

“Enough,” JJ shrugged. 

“I don’t… I don’t even know what to do to fix this,” John B said, sounding - and most definitely feeling - hopeless. 

“Well, I’m not bleeding anywhere right?” JJ asked, wincing as he tried to cast a look over his upper body. 

“Uh… no, not that I can see but JJ these bruises they’re”-

“Yeah I know, they look bad but nothing feels broken I just…” JJ trailed off for a moment, “I just needed to get away. At least for a night, you know? Give myself a bit of time to… get back to my good old self.” 

“So he can, what? Beat you up again?” John B protested. “Just stay here. However long you need. We can go back to your place later, get some clothes, you can borrow some of mine”-

“John B, no, I can’t do that, it’s… this was out of the ordinary man, it won’t happen again,” JJ said, sounding completely unconvinced himself. 

“No JJ. Just… just listen to me alright? I don’t want you going through this again”-

“It’ll happen again for sure John B, you can’t”-

“Well… look. I want you to know that you can come and stay here whenever. I’ll get you a key, I mean, we never lock the fucking doors anyway, but I’ll get you a key anyway. Just… just say you’ll come here instead of going home if you think you’re gonna… if you think he’s gonna hit you again, okay?” John B asked, biting his bottom lip slightly to hold back the tears at what his best friend had gone through. 

“I… okay, fine, as long as I get to eat the rest of this pizza,” JJ relented. 

“Yeah, of course bro,” John B said with a small smile. “Just think of the Chateau as your home too, okay?”

“Thanks John B,” JJ replied softly. 

* * *

“Hey John B, don’t make me drown you like your old man!”

JJ was jerked roughly back to the present when Topper shouted those hateful words at his best friend. That made both John B and JJ see red and John B launched himself at that kook asshole again and they went tumbling back into the surf. 

“Stop you guys!” Kie shouted hoarsely. 

Topper somehow got the upper hand - who knew assholes who wore pocket squares could actually fight? - and shoved John B’s head under the crashing waves. 

“Topper stop! No!” Sarah screamed, her voice joining with Kie’s begging Topper to stop. 

JJ clenched his jaw hard enough to crack teeth and grabbed the butt of the gun he’d lifted from the motel room. It felt firm and heavy in his hand. 

“No!” Pope exclaimed when he saw it.

“He’s drowning him,” JJ protested. Adrenaline started to pump and he could feel his heart race increase while John B gasped for breaths. 

When Topper pushed John B’s head under the water again JJ made his decision. “Topper!” he shouted. He flicked off the safety on the gun and held it up, those in the crowd who caught sight of it hushed and backed away. JJ took long strides into the surf and pushed the barrel of the gun against Topper’s head. 

“Yeah you know what that is,” JJ growled. “Your move, broski.”

“Come on, chill dude!” Pope implored watching his scholarship melt into the night at the sight of the gun. 

“JJ!” Kie screamed. 

“Stop! JJ!” Sarah shouted, tears in her voice. 

Topper mumbled something incoherent and JJ leaned forward. “Did you say something, princess?”

Topper shifted away from both John B and JJ. “We’re good, we’re good,” he said, backing away from JJ and the gun. John B emerged from the waves with a gasping, choking breath.

“Put the gun down!” Kie begged her friend from the sidelines. 

“You alright?” JJ instead turned to John B. “Come on man.” 

“Kie, can you check your psycho friend please?” Sarah said angrily, grabbing Topper’s arm. 

But the damage was done and JJ was pissed. He lifted the gun up into the air making the crowd back away even further. “Okay, everyone, listen up! Get the hell off our side of the island!” he demanded before letting off the gun twice into the air.

Shrieks and screams erupted from the crowd and everyone started running away from the beach and the Pogues - especially the one with the gun. 

“Are you crazy? You idiot!” Pope said incredulously. 

“Why do that?” Kie added. 

“It’s not worth it!” Pope shouted. 

“I’m saving his life, okay?” JJ replied, slightly in disbelief that Pope and Kie would be so angry at his actions. 

“You’re gonna jeopardise everything!” Pope said, no doubt thinking of both gold and his scholarship ambitions. 

JJ shook them off and instead pulled his friend from the surf. Pope and Kie wouldn’t understand. They didn’t know and he wasn’t planning on telling them, that was for sure. But John B was the most important person in his entire life. John B was his friend, his salvation and his home. And he wasn’t going to let no asshole kook take that away from him. 


	2. Chapter 2

_ Paint flakes don’t just fly off a wall over nothing. JJ was pretty familiar with having paint flakes in his hair and leaning up against the wall he wanted nothing more than to be miles away from where they were - fishing, smoking, drinking, hell doing anything but what they were doing right now. But it was for John B. And he knew if there was one certainty in life he’d follow John B right into the goddamn lion’s den.  _

“Know what this house looks like?” JJ mused as they pulled up to the Grubbs’ house. “Whoever lives here smokes too much weed.” And to be fair, if  _ he _ was the one saying it that was something. 

They headed up to the door but JJ almost walked into the back of John B when they heard glass shattering coming from inside the house. The sound immediately set JJ on edge. 

“Maybe we should come back,” JJ said nervously, grabbing John B’s shoulders. His friend shook him off and kept heading towards the house. “It’s a little too soon,” JJ added. 

“No, no, shut up. Shut up JJ,” John B countered, holding up a hand. Another crash sounded from the house and JJ flinched. He was way too goddamn familiar with that vibe. 

“Tell me where it is or I’ll fuck you up!” a man shouted from inside the house. The two of them heard Lana gasping inside and JJ’s blood ran cold. “I’ll sink you in the fucking”-

Another huge crash and Lana screamed, “You’re hurting me!”

JJ wanted to get the fuck out of there ASAP. He knew he was fighting a losing battle with John B but he tried anyway. “I”-

“Shut up, come on,” John B immediately interrupted and gestured to the house and nope JJ did  _ not  _ want to go anywhere near that house. “Come  _ on _ ,” he implored and JJ had no choice but to follow. He’d follow John B into hell if he had to after all. 

The two of them ran towards the house trying to be as surreptitious as possible. 

“Where is it you bitch?” came a furious shout from the house. 

“I don’t know!” Lana sobbed in reply. She sounded hurt to JJ’s ears. 

“Is it here in the house?” the man demanded. 

John B rushed to the side of the house and JJ looked at him, hands slightly raised in exasperation - why the fuck were they sticking around here? Another crash sounded and JJ could hear glass breaking again and was reminded of why there were never enough clean glasses in his own house. 

“Is it somewhere else?” the man shouted. 

John B went to look inside one of the windows and JJ leaped over a bush to grab his friend and jerk him down, out of sight of whoever was inside. 

“You”-

“Shut up,” John B whispered, putting a finger to his lips while JJ looked at him in shock. 

“Still think we should stay?” JJ asked incredulously. There was another loud thump from inside and then JJ was sure both he and John B felt a chill run down their spines when they heard one of the men inside say, “The compass wasn’t in the boat! Where is it Lana?”

John B’s eyes widened when Lana replied, sobbing, “I don’t know!”

JJ flinched as another crash sounded through the small house and glass broke. “Don’t listen,” he whispered to John B wanting to be anywhere rather than here. Another huge thump from the house and flakes rained down on them, flying out of the window. JJ brushed a hand through his hair in shock. 

“Is that paint?” he said, horrified. 

“Yes, it’s paint,” John B hushed him. 

“Let’s get the hell outta here man!” one of the assholes inside said. John B inched towards the side of the house to get a look at the guys and JJ’s heart rate immediately rose. 

“We should just go,” JJ practically begged, “he’s got smuggler written”-

“Shut up!” John B whispered. 

“He’s got smuggler written all over him,” JJ finished but John B was already past him, at the edge of the house. 

John B suddenly jerked backwards making JJ jump and the two of them stood there for what felt like an hour as the two guys left the house and headed towards the water. 

“Shut up, shut up,” John B whispered his new favourite phrase while they waited. Finally they could glance around the side of the house to where the two guys were starting their boat and JJ felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. 

“Dude, those were the guys that shot at us,” he said nervously. 

“Go back, go back,” John B whispered frantically and they backtracked down the side of the house as the boat headed down the channel. Finally they were out of sight and the two of them could head inside. 

The house was a mess and poor Lana was a wreck but all JJ could think about right now was the last time he’d had paint flakes in his hair. 

* * *

John B had been there last time he’d got paint flakes stuck in his hair. And  _ man _ you need to hit a wall hard to knock paint from it. JJ couldn’t even remember why his dad was so damn angry this time. Maybe he’d been let go from his latest in a long line of dead-end jobs or maybe the school had rung about JJ skipping class to surf the break instead. It’d been a nice spring day after all. His friend must have been scared though, JJ had thought at the time. He’d arranged for John B to meet him at his place that afternoon. They were planning on going fishing that weekend so JJ had really only come home quickly to pick up some clothes for the next couple days when his dad happened. 

“Oh you’re back to come steal more food outta my kitchen, is that it?” 

JJ swallowed hard and turned around to face his father. He could see enough half-empty pill bottles on the dining table to get a fair understanding of how shitfaced his dad was. 

“Nah Dad, I’m just”-

The backhanded slap to his face shouldn’t have caught him by surprise but somehow it always managed to - maybe it was because he always kind of hoped his dad wouldn’t end up hitting him. And he was forever being disappointed. 

JJ tasted blood in his mouth and wiped his chin. “I’m not stealing food, Dad. I’m just-”

This time his dad punched him in the stomach - a sucker punch that forced the air from his lungs and he bent double. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Dad”-

But Luke Maybank wasn’t even breaking a sweat and he launched his only son into the wall behind him. JJ threw up his arms to protect his face as flakes of paint rained down on him along with a framed photo that had always hung at a jaunty angle anyway and his father kicked him in the gut. He pushed himself up to his knees and his father grabbed his throat and pulled him the rest of the way up to his feet before shoving him backwards into the wall again. 

“Why you gotta be such a goddamn fuck up, huh?” his father growled, the smell of beer strong on his breath even though it was only just 4pm. 

“Dad, please,” JJ whispered, flinching back as his father stumbled slightly, pushing him back against the wall to keep his balance. 

“Hey JJ!” 

JJ grimaced at the sound of John B calling his name from outside. Fuck he hoped he could just  _ leave _ . Just get away from this house, his father, this  _ nightmare _ . He was jerked out of his frantic thoughts when his father threw him to the ground. He heard a strangled cry and was just a little bit horrified when he realised he’d made it but his shoulder was on fire. It felt wrong, something was very wrong. He went to push himself up off the floor and his left arm buckled and he groaned in pain holding his left arm close to his body. 

“JJ?” he heard John B again. 

“Fuck,” he breathed, trying to push down the overwhelming waves of pain that were threatening to make him lose his lunch. 

“Shoulder?” 

JJ looked up through bleary eyes at his father and nodded. Luke bit his lip and crouched down next to JJ on the floor. JJ forced himself not to flinch away when his dad grabbed his left arm. 

“On three,” his dad said and JJ nodded, not trusting his voice right now. “One,” Luke said then twisted his arm and popped his shoulder back into the socket and JJ let out a bitten back gasp of pain. 

“JJ? You in there?” John B’s voice came from the front porch. 

His dad stood up and backed away from his son and JJ pushed himself up to his feet, groaning softly. 

“Comin’ John B!” he called out before grabbing his backpack and slipping out the front door to see his friend on the porch. 

“JJ? You… you alright man?” John B asked, immediately scanning his friend and taking in the split lip, growing bruises on his throat and the way he was holding his left arm tight against his body. 

“Yeah, I’m… I’m fine,” JJ shrugged, wincing slightly as the two of them headed over towards the Twinkie. 

“You’re not fine, man, I can tell,” John B said softly as they got in. He turned over the engine and they headed away from JJ’s house and back down to the Chateau. 

“Well shit I’ll grab a bag of frozen peas when we get there if it makes you happy, John B,” JJ replied but he wasn’t angry. He certainly didn’t say it enough but he was glad he had someone like John B looking out for him - even if there was practically nothing either of them could do about his fucked up situation. 

They got back to the Chateau in record time and JJ staggered inside and straight to the freezer. He pulled out the bag of peas and placed it immediately on his shoulder, gritting his teeth against the cold. 

“What happened?” John B asked him as JJ passed him a bag of weed and papers in his shaking left hand. 

“My dad,” JJ scoffed. “That’s generally what happens.”

“Well I got that but what happened to your shoulder?” John B frowned at his friend as he began to pretty sloppily roll a blunt - JJ was way better at this than he was but with one arm basically out of commission it was John B’s turn to take up the mantle. At least for the time being. 

“Dislocated.”

“Fuck, really?”

“Yeah, fell on it weird and it just popped out,” JJ said. He lifted the bag of peas off his shoulder to feel how sore it still was and quickly replaced the cold pack. 

“Has that happened before?” John B asked and JJ knew he was fishing - for more information or more evidence on what his dad did. But JJ had jumped through these hoops before and sure he’d talk to John B but as soon as there was any mention of reporting his dad to any kind of authority JJ would clam up. What were his options anyway? About as good as John B’s right about now with his dad missing for two weeks now and his uncle apparently on his way up from Mississippi. 

“JJ?” 

“Uh, yeah, couple times,” JJ replied. “Hurts like hell, I wouldn’t recommend it.” 

“Duly noted,” John B said, putting the finishing touches on the blunt and lighting it before handing it straight to JJ. “Here,” John B said, holding the peas to JJ’s shoulder so his friend could use his good arm to take a couple drags before passing it back. The two friends sat there at the kitchen table for a little while just in silence, John B holding the frozen peas on JJ’s shoulder and the two of them passing the blunt between them. 

“Thanks John B,” JJ said, giving John B a half smile so as not to reopen the split lip he’d gained in the last hour. 

“Dude, it’s a shitty blunt, you roll them way better,” John B replied. 

“Not for… look, just, thanks,” JJ said. “And, hey, don’t tell Pope or Kie yeah?”

“About…?” John B asked, gesturing to JJ’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, about that, about everything with my dad. They just… they don’t have to know,” JJ finished kind of lamely. 

“Yeah, I get it man,” John B replied. “I won’t tell but… stay here more often, alright? I mean, shit take the bedroom if you want? I don’t really think Uncle T’s actually coming up unless he really has to, you know? So I can always sleep on the pull out, it’s no problem. You know you could even”-

“Okay, okay, I get it, shut up,” JJ held up his left hand for a second before dropping it back into his lap. “But… thanks John B.”

“Don’t mention it,” John B shrugged. “Hey what is that in your hair?”

“Aw fuck, probably paint,” JJ said, shaking his head and seeing the flakes fall. 

“How’d you get”-

“Don’t ask man,” JJ said with a shake of his head. 

“Want a beer?”

“ _ God _ yes,” JJ groaned, grinning at his friend.

* * *

“And then we were right outside like this,” JJ explained to Pope and Kie, breaths coming in quick, moving to lean against the brickwork on the front porch of the Chateau, “and all we hear is just, “Bam! Bam! Bam!” Knocking paint off the wall G! From the inside! Alright? And I’m just looking at him like,” JJ continued, gesturing to John B, “wait, first off look at this shit, look at this.”

He took three steps over to Pope and Kie and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“The house”- Pope began but Kie interrupted. 

“That’s dandruff… that’s disgusting.”

“Okay, thank you,” Pope added. 

“Look at all that, alright? That’s paint,” JJ said confidently. “At that point I was just like…” he looked up at John B and they shared a quick glance. JJ knew exactly what John B was thinking about - the last time JJ’d had fucking paint flakes in his hair - John B had even brought it up on the drive back over to the Chateau. “I’m waiting for death,” he finished, absent-mindedly rubbing his left shoulder.

“Oh, okay so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?” Pope asked, burying his face in his hands for a moment, thinking. 

“Yeah,” JJ replied. 

“Did you get a good description of them?” Pope asked. “What’d they look like?”

“Yeah, anything,” Kie added. “Anything’s helpful.”

“Anything we could bring to like a police report maybe?” Pope questioned.

JJ looked out over the water, trying to remember faces, distinguishing features, anything. But if all those fucking run ins with his father had taught him anything it was that fight or flight - either get the fuck out of there or wake up in a pool of blood later. There wasn’t really the time to gauge hair and eye colour. 

“Burly,” he said, turning back to them, feeling accomplished at that one word description. 

“Burly?” Pope repeated. 

“Yeah,” JJ said, “you know like”-

“That’s not very helpful,” Kie replied in her usual matter-of-fact tone. 

“Okay, well, no, the type of guy at my dad’s garage,” JJ said, trying desperately to be more useful. “I mean you guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers.”

“Yeah, yes we know,” Kie said, her exasperation showing - which JJ concluded was probably hiding her anxiousness at the situation. 

“Then I can tell you with full confidence guys,” JJ declared, “these boys, these…  _ killers _ , they’re square groupers.” 

“They’re square groupers like narco square groupers?” Pope clarified. “Like Pablo Escobar square groupers?” 

JJ took a drag on his blunt and nodded. “Yeah man.”

“You guys, not everything is a kingpin movie,” Kie said. 

“Okay so what does this square grouper look like? Specifically?” Pope asked. 

“You weren’t there, bro!” JJ replied, his anger building. This whole thing was fucked up. Not only did he have to deal with a deadbeat father and fucking drug smugglers with guns - now he had to prove himself to the Pogues?

“You don’t know what to look for?” Pope shouted. 

“Dude!” JJ shouted right back. “I wasn’t taking little mental Polaroids the entire time, man! I was under duress, okay!” JJ stopped for a moment to catch his breath, frustrated with himself for getting so stupidly emotional. “But I can tell you...I can tell you by the way Ms Lana was screaming that these guys are serious,  _ serious  _ hombres man.” 

John B popped open the compass and looked down at it, lost in thought. 

“It’s a heavy vibe right now, okay?” JJ said. “I’m not liking this very much.”

“Okay but why do they want the compass?” Kie asked, confused. 

“That thing’s a piece of shit, you couldn’t pawn it off for five bucks if you wanted to,” Pope said. “No offence, John B, I know it’s in your family”-

“The office,” John B spoke up finally. 

“What?” Pope frowned. 

JJ puffed out a line of smoke and looked over at his best friend. “My dad. My dad’s office,” John B said, speaking as he walked towards the house. 

JJ sighed and followed his friend. At least John B was acting more normal now. He just hoped they wouldn’t find themselves in another fucking downward spiral with this new direction they were headed.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!! I know some of this stuff has been done to death (JJ getting beaten up, walking to John B's house in the rain, etc) but I hope you like my take on it!


End file.
